Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining STEM Teachers for a Global Generation

There is a critical need to prepare diverse teachers with expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with the skills necessary to work effectively with underrepresented K-12 students. Three major goals of funded STEM programs are to attract and prepare students at all educational levels to pursue coursework in the STEM content areas, to prepare graduates to pursue careers in STEM fields, and to improve teacher education programs in the STEM content areas. Drawing upon these goals as the framework for Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining STEM Teachers for a Global Generation, the 15 chapters contained herein highlight both the challenges and successes of recruiting, preparing, and sustaining novice teachers in the STEM content areas in high-need schools.

Recruiting, retaining and sustaining highly-qualified teachers with expertise in STEM content areas to work in hard-to-staff schools and geographic areas are necessary to equalize educational opportunities for rural and urban Title 1 students. High teacher turnover rates, in combination with teachers working out-of-field, leave many students without highly-qualified teachers in STEM fields. Most of the chapters in this volume were prepared by scholars who received NSF funding through Noyce and are engaged in addressing research questions related to these endeavours.

Contributors are: Lillie R. Albert, Cynthia Anhalt, Saman A. Aryana, Joy Barnes-Johnson, Lora Bartlett, Brezhnev Batres, Diane Bonilla, Patti Brosnan, Andrea C. Burrows, Alan Buss, Laurie O. Campbell, Phil Cantor, Michelle T. Chamberlin, Scott A. Chamberlin, Marta Civil, Lin Ding, Teresa Dunleavy, Belinda P. Edwards, Jennifer A. Eli, Joshua Ellis, Adrian Epps, Anne Even, Angela Frausto, Samantha Heller, Karen E. Irving, Heather Johnson, Nicole M. Joseph, Richard Kitchen, Karen Kuhel, Marina Lazic, Jacqueline Leonard, Rebecca H. McGraw, Daniel Morales-Doyle, Sultana N. Nahar, Justina Ogodo, Anil K. Pradhan, Carolina Salinas, David Segura, Lynette Gayden Thomas, Alisun Thompson, Maria Varelas, Dorothy Y. White, Desha Williams, and Ryan Ziols.

Jacqueline Leonard, Ph.D. (1997), University of Maryland, is Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Wyoming and Fulbright Canada Research Chair in STEM Education at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include computational thinking, culturally specific pedagogy, and equitable STEM practices.

Andrea Burrows, Ed.D. (2011), University of Cincinnati, is an Associate Professor of Secondary Science Education at the University of Wyoming. A recent publication may be found in the Journal of Science Education and Technology.

Richard Kitchen, Ph.D. (1996), University of Wisconsin, is Professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair of Higher Education in Mathematics Education at the University of Wyoming. Numerous publications include the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.